Arts Talk: News in brief

Published 3:05 pm, Friday, March 7, 2014

Award-winning American playwright Christopher Durang will present the 18th annual Burian Lecture on March 10 at the University at Albany. (Susan Johann)

Award-winning American playwright Christopher Durang will present the 18th annual Burian Lecture on March 10 at the University at Albany. (Susan Johann)

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Albany Poets will present the 2014 Albany Word Fest, featuring the poetry and spoken word of upstate New York, April 13-19. (Albany Poets)

Albany Poets will present the 2014 Albany Word Fest, featuring the poetry and spoken word of upstate New York, April 13-19. (Albany Poets)

Arts Talk: News in brief

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Cobleskill series includes 'Pometrics' event

A "Pometrics: Animated Short Films and Poetry" event, showcasing visually stunning moving images, from live action to animation via motion graphics, all based on or inspired by poetry, will be held at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 25, at SUNY Cobleskill.

From London-based onedotzero, the series of short films will show the united power of moving imagery and poetry. The event is part of the Spring Cultural Arts Series.

The last event in the series will be held at 7:30 p.m. April 17, featuring violinist Leo Milman and a band of guest artists. The "Serenading Strings: A Kaleidoscope of Music" experience will showcase world-class music.

All events will be held on campus in Bouck Theater. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.

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"America: Our Musical Heritage," a concert of classic selections and patriotic music, will be presented by the Mohawk Valley Chorus at 3 p.m. Sunday at the United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church St. in Amsterdam.

Among the choral selections will be the traditional "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "I Hear America Singing," "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor" as well as spirituals. There will also be an Irving Berlin medley and Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing."

Christopher Durang, the award-winning American playwright and winner of the 2013 Best Play Tony Award for the Broadway hit "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," will speak about his life and work as part of the 18th annual Burian Lecture at 8 p.m. Monday, in the Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center on the University at Albany's uptown campus.

Known for madcap comedy and trenchant satire, Durang's work for the stage has been celebrated by audiences and critics for more than three decades.

Durang's "Vanya" borrows characters and material from Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. The play tells the story of a brother and sister who have never had to grow up, and who live off their world-traveling movie-star sister in a family farmhouse in Bucks County, Pa. Durang will present an informal seminar at 4:15 p.m. Sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute, the UAlbany Theatre Department and the Jarka and Grayce Susan Burian Endowment, both events are free.